Article Post-Pandemic Recovery: A Case of Domestic Tourism in Akaroa (South Island, New Zealand) Asif Hussain 1 and Francesc Fusté-Forné 2,* 1 Sustainability and Resilience Institute, Christchurch 7583, New Zealand; [email protected] 2 Department of Business, University of Girona, 17003 Catalonia, Spain * Correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected] Abstract: The current pandemic (Covid-19) disrupted businesses and challenged societies all over the world. In particular, destinations are being urged to keep the attraction and value of their products and services in post-pandemic tourism recovery programs. Drawing from a qualitative study based on published reports and research, and using participant observation, this research analyses the situation of tourism in Akaroa, South Island of New Zealand, during the coronavirus outbreak and the first stages of the recovery process. Results of the research show that while crisis management led to the closure of the sector due to strict social and travel restrictions, the confinement measures adopted by the government and the progressive reopening of the country has resulted in a shift from “cruise tourism” into a gradual return of “domestic tourism”. This paper argues that local peoples’ perspectives must be kept in mind when developing a tourism recovery strategy. This case study also shows that because of the nature of changing working environment, there is potential to change local demography in the form of an increase in residents putting pressure on local infrastructure. In a rural and marine environment, local stakeholders’ attention is required to focus on “quality” of tourism rather than “quantity”. Nature-based resources and outdoor activities are expected to be the Citation: Hussain, A.; Fusté-Forné, F. critical ingredients for tourism’s immediate and sustainable future. Post-Pandemic Recovery: A Case of Domestic Tourism in Akaroa (South Keywords: Banks Peninsula; cruise tourism; domestic tourism; tourism recovery Island, New Zealand). World 2021, 2, 127–138. https://doi.org/10.3390/ world2010009 1. Introduction Academic Editor: Manfred The global health crisis in the form of the outbreak of Covid-19 has brought the world Max Bergman to a standstill. Extensive lockdowns and social distancing have hurt service industries at both local, national and global levels. According to the World Tourism Organization [1], Received: 11 December 2020 tourism is the worst affected industry amongst all significant economic activities. Tourism Accepted: 1 March 2021 Published: 4 March 2021 is a ubiquitous industry, and the impacts on and of the industry cannot be attributed to a single agency. Therefore, it is vital to understand the current scenarios of the crisis and Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral mobilise relevant stakeholders to secure the re-emergence of the tourism industry. Among with regard to jurisdictional claims in these measures, cooperation among tourism destinations, tourists, and public and private published maps and institutional affil- institutions such as transportation businesses is crucial to sustain and make the sector iations. resilient both in the short and long run. Tourism is not a stand-alone sector; therefore, it needs to be considered in conjunction with other economic activities which directly and indirectly support the industry from a local perspective (see, for example, [2–4]). Consequently, local people must be put at the centre of the tourism planning, recovery and regeneration strategies. This paper argues that putting people first will help tourism Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. stakeholders face the crisis from a sustainability and resilience perspective. This article is an open access article Catastrophes are usual in human history, which has experienced both human and distributed under the terms and natural disasters [5]. It is argued that the tourism industry is fragile and can be quickly conditions of the Creative Commons impacted by both natural and human disasters. Previous literature suggests that there Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// is a critical relationship between disasters and crisis in the tourism industry [6–11]. The creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ plight of Covid-19 has alarmed the world in general, and tourism in particular, as the virus 4.0/). outbreak has dramatically affected the industry. This is even more relevant in New Zealand, World 2021, 2, 127–138. https://doi.org/10.3390/world2010009 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/world World 2021, 2, FOR PEER REVIEW 2 World 2021, 2 128 plight of Covid-19 has alarmed the world in general, and tourism in particular, as the virus outbreak has dramatically affected the industry. This is even more relevant in New whereZealand, international where international tourism markets tourism stopped markets abruptlystopped [abruptly12]. New [12]. Zealand New bordersZealand havebor- beenders closedhave been since closed April since 2020 April to date. 2020 This to date. study This debates study debates the initial the consequencesinitial consequen ofces the globalof the pandemicglobal pandemic and how and a localhow tourisma local tourism system system has responded has responded in the context in the context of Akaroa of (SouthAkaroa Island, (South New Island, Zealand) New Zealand) (see Figure (see1 below).Figure 1 Akaroabelow). isAkaroa a coastal is a destination coastal destination of New Zealandof New whichZealand became which popular became for popular cruise tourism.for cruise In tourism. recent years, In recent Akaroa years, has Akar extensivelyoa has reliedextensively on international relied on tourists,international mainly tourists, cruise tourism.mainly cruise Drawing tourism. on a case Drawing study designon a case [13] andstudy focused design on [13] secondary and focused sources on secondary and participant sources observation, and participant this observation, paper explores this how pa- theper pandemic explores how situation the pandemic has been situation experienced has been in this experienced destination. in this Results destin showation. that Results local peopleshow that acknowledged local people the acknowledged controversies the derived controversies from cruise derived tourism, from and cruise they tourism, also advised and forthey an also urgent advised shift tofor domestic an urgent tourism shift to in domestic line with tourism governmental in line with post-Covid-19 governmental initiatives. post- ThisCovid was-19 noticed initiatives. in previous This was studies, noticed which in previous argued that studies, domestic which tourism argued will that recover domestic first (seetourism [7,14 ]).will The recover paper first concludes (see [7,14]). with The directions paper concludes for a sustainable with directions tourism for recovery. a sustainable Both theoreticaltourism recovery. and practical Both theoretical implications, and limitations practical implications, and opportunities limitations for furtherand opportuni- research areties described. for further research are described. FigureFigure 1. 1.The The Banks Banks Peninsula, Peninsula, NewNew ZealandZealand [[15,16].15,16]. 2.2. Tourism Tourism and and Crisis Crisis Impacts: Impacts: FromFrom GlobalGlobal toto LocalLocal TheThe Covid-19 Covid-19 crisiscrisis isis consideredconsidered thethe world’sworld’s worstworst global tourism crisis since the the recordrecord began began in in 1950. 1950. Its Its consequencesconsequences willwill increaseincrease the challenge o off achieving achieving sustainable sustainable developmentdevelopment goalsgoals (SDGs)(SDGs) aroundaround thethe globe.globe. TheThe UNWTOUNWTO estimates that international tourismtourism arrivalsarrivals couldcould fall fall between between 60 60–80%–80% in in 2020 2020 compared compared to 2019, to 2019, which which has hasthe po- the potentialtential toto impact impact up up to to80% 80% of directly of directly tourism tourism-related-related jobs jobs(100– (100–120120 million) million) and put and live- put livelihoodslihoods at atrisk. risk. The The World World Tourism Tourism Organization Organization has has downgraded downgraded international international arrival arrival scenariosscenarios several several times times [ 11[11].]. InIn thisthis sense,sense, while 22% of the global global destinations destinations were were slowly slowly easingeasing travel travel restrictions restrictions in June,in June, two-thirds two-thirds of the of worldwidethe worldwide destination destination borders borders remained re- completelymained completely closed for closed foreign for nationals foreign nationals [17]. With [17]. the With current the situation current situation in mind, domesticin mind, marketsdomestic emerge markets as emerge the main as the hope main for hope the tourism for the tourism industry. industry. It is argued It is argued that domestic that do- tourismmestic tourism started started to recover to recover faster faster in the in final the final quarter quarter of the of yearthe year 2020 2020 as comparedas compared to internationalto international tourism tourism [7]. [7]. In this In this sense, sense, part part of the of immediatethe immediate crisis crisis recovery recovery is anticipated is antici- topated be the to smallbe the scale small of scale visiting of visiting friends friends and relatives and relatives and business and business travel. travel. AA pandemic pandemic is is “an “an outbreakoutbreak ofof aa diseasedisease thatthat occurs